Set to make its global debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19th, the AWD F-Type made its first official appearance in the Hakskeen Pan desert in the Northern cape of South Africa, where Jaguar joined the Bloodhound SSC World Land Speed Record program during its first high-speed testing session. Not because the F-Type is a record-breaker now that is sports all-wheel drive, but because Jaguar Jaguar is the new main partner of the Bloodhound Project. Still, it’s a good way to showcase a vehicle that’s quicker than its RWD counterpart.
Naturally, the AWD F-Type is identical to the rear-wheel-drive model as far as aesthetics go. Take a closer look at the coupe’s front end and you’ll notice the hood line sits higher now in order to make room for the added front differential under the engine. But other than that, nothing sets the all-wheel and rear-wheel-drive F-Type Coupes apart.
Jaguar didn’t have many details to share about the all-wheel-drive system offered in the F-Type. However, it did say the F-Type R Coupe, which is powered by a supercharged, 5.0-liter, V-8 engine rated at 542 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque, needs only 3.9 seconds to accelerate from naught to 60 mph. This means the AWD system shaves a tenth of a second off the R Coupe’s four-second 0-to-60-mph benchmark. Top speed remains locked at 186 mph.
